Name
Alfred Jefferies
1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
269175
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT CEMETERY
X. D. 1.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
4 Company Hitchin Territorials Memorial, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, St Michael & All Angels Church Memorial (paper sheet), Woolmer Green, Not on the Welwyn memorials
Pre War
Alfred Jefferies was born in 1877 in Woolmer Green, nr Welwyn, Hertfordshire, the son of Henry and Emma Jefferies. He was one of eight children, although four had died by the 1911 Census.
On the 1881 Census the family were living at Woolmer Green, where his father was working as a Shepherd. They remained in Woolmer Green in 1891.
He married Susan Marvel in Stevenage on 2 June 1900 at Woolmer Green and they continued living in Woolmer Green on the 1901 and 1911 Censuses when and Alfred was working as a labourer in the gravel pit. They had 3 sons & 2 daughters. They included: Edith Susan, (b 1901) Frederick Alfred (b 19/11/1902), Henry Leonard (b 2/1/1907), Ivy Mabel (b 22/4/1909) and David John (b 10/1/1911). Alfred and Susan had been married for 10 years, with 5 children all living.
Wartime Service
Alfred enlisted in Hitchin and initially joined the Bedfordshire Regiment under Reg. No. 9098. He was later transferred to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment and Alfred was given the Regimental number 269175 and served with 4 Company.
On the day of his death, the 1st Herts had marched from Vlamertinge to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the Hertfordshires left their assembly position at 5.00am and captured St. Julien during the morning. Unfortunately, the promised supporting artillery barrage did not materialise as the guns could not be brought up due to the all-prevailing mud. By noon the Herts had crossed the Steenbeck stream and had come across unbroken wire that prevented any further advance. The German artillery and machine-guns decimated them and by the end of the day the Herts had virtually ceased to exist. Over half the fighting strength of the Battalion, including most of the officers, were killed or wounded in a single day.
His body was found after the war at map. ref. 28.D.7.c.8.4. identified by his disc. There were some effects found which were passed on. He was then re-buried in Plot X, Row D, Grave 1 in the Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium, as part of the concentration of graves.
Additional Information
After his death £3 14s 5d was authorised to go to his Susan, his widow, on 8 August 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £3 was authorised to be paid to her, on 19 November 1919.
His pension cards record Susan, his widow and children, as his dependants, and living at Woolmer Green, nr Knebworth, although this was later amended to Brick Kiln Road, Stevenage, Herts. Their children were recorded as Frederick Alfred (b 19/11/1902), Henry Leonard (b 2/1/1907), Ivy Mabel (b 22/4/1909) and David John (b 10/1/1911). She was awarded a grant of £5 on 21 May 1918 and then a pension of 28s 9d a week from 23 March 1918.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer. www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
